U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

County Employment and Wages News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST), Wednesday, January 13, 2010 USDL-10-0009
Technical Information: (202) 691-6567 * QCEWInfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cew
Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
COUNTY EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
Second Quarter 2009
From June 2008 to June 2009, employment declined in 324 of the 334
largest U.S. counties according to preliminary data, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. Elkhart County, Ind., located
about 100 miles east of Chicago, posted the largest percentage
decline, with a loss of 21.9 percent over the year, compared with a
national job decrease of 5.1 percent. Nearly 70 percent of the
employment decline in Elkhart occurred in manufacturing, which lost
18,400 jobs over the year (-32.2 percent). Yakima County, Wash.,
experienced the largest over-the-year percentage increase in
employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a gain of 1.5
percent.
The U.S. average weekly wage fell over the year by 0.1 percent in the
second quarter of 2009. This is the second consecutive over-the-year
decline in average weekly wages and one of only four declines dating
back to 1978, when these quarterly data were first comparable. (See
Technical Note.) Large employment and wage losses in both the
financial activities and manufacturing supersectors contributed
significantly to the overall decline in the U.S. average weekly wages
this quarter. Average weekly wages fell 1.8 percent in financial
activities and 0.3 percent in manufacturing. Among the large counties
in the U.S., Weld County, Colo., had the largest over-the-year
decrease in average weekly wages in the second quarter of 2009, with
a loss of 9.0 percent. Within Weld, trade, transportation, and
utilities had the largest over-the-year decline in average weekly
wages with a loss of 32.0 percent. Olmsted, Minn., experienced the
largest growth in average weekly wages with a gain of 10.8 percent.
Table A. Top 10 large counties ranked by June 2009 employment, June 2008-09 employment
decrease, and June 2008-09 percent decrease in employment
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Employment in large counties
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June 2009 employment | Decrease in employment, | Percent decrease in employment,
(thousands) | June 2008-09 | June 2008-09
| (thousands) |
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| |
United States 129,674.8| United States -6,941.9| United States -5.1
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| |
Los Angeles, Calif. 3,947.3| Los Angeles, Calif. -256.7| Elkhart, Ind. -21.9
Cook, Ill. 2,395.8| Maricopa, Ariz. -149.9| Macomb, Mich. -13.2
New York, N.Y. 2,280.5| Cook, Ill. -137.7| Trumbull, Ohio -12.2
Harris, Texas 2,009.3| Orange, Calif. -119.7| Wayne, Mich. -11.6
Maricopa, Ariz. 1,588.7| New York, N.Y. -113.2| Collier, Fla. -11.3
Dallas, Texas 1,416.7| Clark, Nev. -98.5| Ottawa, Mich. -11.0
Orange, Calif. 1,380.6| Wayne, Mich. -85.5| Clark, Nev. -10.7
San Diego, Calif. 1,258.2| San Diego, Calif. -77.5| Washoe, Nev. -10.5
King, Wash. 1,138.3| Dallas, Texas -71.6| Oakland, Mich. -9.6
Miami-Dade, Fla. 932.3| Oakland, Mich. -65.6| Sarasota, Fla. -9.2
| |
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Of the 334 largest counties in the United States (as measured by 2008
annual average employment), 157 had over-the-year percentage declines
in employment greater than or equal to the national average (-5.1
percent) in June 2009; 167 large counties experienced smaller
declines than the national average, while 2 counties experienced no
change and 3 counties experienced employment gains. The percent